Articular cartilage damage

Articular cartilage damage is injury or deterioration of the smooth tissue covering bone ends in movable joints. Because this cartilage has little capacity to heal, damage can impair joint movement and contribute to pain.

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Articular cartilage: Articular cartilage is the smooth, resilient tissue covering the ends of bones in synovial joints. Its layered structure and low blood supply explain how damage affects motion and healing.
Magnetic resonance imaging: Magnetic resonance imaging uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of internal tissues. It can show cartilage defects and associated bone or soft-tissue changes without ionizing radiation.
Osteochondral lesion: An osteochondral lesion affects both the joint-surface cartilage and the underlying bone. It contrasts with damage limited to cartilage because bone involvement changes evaluation and treatment.
Fibrocartilage: Fibrocartilage is a tough cartilage type rich in collagen fibers and adapted to resist tensile and compressive forces. Microfracture commonly produces fibrocartilage-like repair tissue rather than the original hyaline cartilage.
Chondrocyte: A chondrocyte is a specialized cell that produces and maintains cartilage matrix. These cells maintain the tissue but respond poorly to injury in mature cartilage.
Arthroscopy: Arthroscopy is a procedure that uses a small camera and instruments inserted through incisions to examine or treat a joint. It can directly inspect a cartilage lesion and allow treatment during the same procedure.
Meniscus tear: A meniscus tear is a split or disruption in fibrocartilage within the knee joint. It can cause similar knee symptoms but affects a different structure from articular cartilage.
Hyaline cartilage: Hyaline cartilage is a smooth cartilage type with a collagen-rich matrix found on joint surfaces and elsewhere. Its specialized structure is the benchmark that repair procedures seek to restore.
Cartilage extracellular matrix: The cartilage extracellular matrix is a network of collagen, proteoglycans, and water surrounding cartilage cells. Matrix breakdown reduces the cartilage’s ability to resist compression and provide a smooth surface.
Microfracture surgery: Microfracture surgery creates small openings in bone beneath a cartilage defect to stimulate a repair response. It is used for selected focal defects, but the resulting repair tissue differs from native cartilage.